Ukraine Famine

he Ukrainian
Famine was dreadful famine premeditated by the Soviet Union, headed
by Joseph Stalin during 1932-1933, as a means to undermine the
nationalistic pride of the Ukrainian people. It served to control and
further oppress the Ukrainian people by denying them the basic vital
essentials they needed to survive. The Ukrainian Famine is also known as
Holodomor, meaning “death by hunger.”

The Communist Regime sought to eliminate any threat from
Ukrainian nationalists, whom they feared had the potential to form a
rebellion and to seek independence from the Soviet Union. More than
5,000 Ukrainian intellectuals were arrested and later were either
murdered or deported to prison camps in Siberia. These individuals were
falsely accused of plotting an armed rebellion; however it was very
clear that Stalin’s intentions were to eliminate the leaders of
Ukrainian society, to leave the masses without any guidance or
direction.

Stalin regarded the self-sufficient farms of the
Ukraine peasants, as a threat to his ideals. He did not want the
Ukrainian peasants to prosper freely from the wealth accumulated from
independent farm holdings. The wealthier farmers were termed as
“kulaks”, and became the primary target of “dekulukization,” an effort
to eliminate independent farm-holdings, and create collective farm
units. The Communists attempted to gain the support of the poorer class
of peasants, by turning them against the kulak class of farmers. A false
image of the Kulak class portrayed them as a danger to society.
Contrary to the expected outcome of the Communists’ plan, the poor
farmers sided with the kulaks, instead of siding with the Soviet
authorities. As a result many of them became new targets of
dekulakization. Many other poor farmers unwillingly joined collective
farms. Those who attempted to aid a “kulak” were punished under the law.

The
Soviet police confiscated the Ukrainian farmers of their homes,
livestock, wheat crops, and valuable possessions. They imposed heavy
grain taxes, deliberately leaving families to starve. Those who resisted
giving up their homes and crops, were violently shot to death or
deported to regions in Siberia. Some families and individuals chose to
burn their homes to the ground and kill their livestock, instead of
handing it over to Soviet authorities. Families, who tried to hide grain
resources, in order to sustain a source of food, were killed. This
campaign of terror was organized to instill fear within the people, and
force them to relinquish all that they had. The ultimate goal was to
have these people embrace Soviet-ism and abandon all nationalistic
pride.

A system of internal passports prevented Ukrainians from
leaving their towns and villages. Thus villagers were not able to cross
the border and escape the torment by fleeing to other countries. When
news of the Famine reached the Ukrainian Diaspora in the United States
and Europe, food supplies were sent to Ukraine to assist the starving
people. However all food shipments were denied at the border by Soviet
authorities. Following the Soviet Union’s policy of denying any
allegations having to do with the Famine, all outside assistance was
refused. Even journalists were not allowed in Ukraine, because the
Soviet government feared that the media would reveal the perpetrated
crimes against the Ukrainian people. When an individual claimed that
there was a famine in Ukraine they were considered to be spreading
anti-Soviet propaganda. Even stating the words “famine” or “hunger”
could cause someone to end up in jail.

All the grain taken from
Ukrainian farmers were exported to European countries, and the money
generated from these sales, were used to fuel Stalin’s Five Year Plan
for the transformation of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union purchased
many products and weapons from Western countries. Those western
countries in return remained silent in regards to the starving
Ukrainians. Grain that was not yet shipped out was reserved in
granaries. While the animals that were needed for work on the farms were
fed, the people were left to starve. The granaries were guarded to
ensure no one would steal grain supplies. Anyone who attempted to do so
was shot and killed.

It was estimated that about 25,000 Ukrainians
were dying every day during the Famine. Desperation and extreme hunger
even lead to cases of cannibalism and consequentially thousands were
arrested for this act.

Despite many Ukrainian Communist leaders’
objections to Stalin and his decrees, Stalin continued to raise grain
quotas, which led to worsening of the famine. Many Communists blame the
orchestrated famine on an unsuccessful harvest and crop yield, failing
to acknowledge the crimes perpetrated by the Soviet government and
authorities It is estimated that more than 10 million people died as a
result of violent executions, deportation, and starvation.

Currently
Russia does not recognize the Ukrainian Famine or Holodomor, as
genocide. The Russian State Duma stated that there was starvation in
many parts of the Soviet Union, and it is insulting and incorrect for
the Ukrainians to claim that they were directly targeted. Despite
Russia’s persistent denial of the Ukrainian Famine, many countries
around the world have recognized the atrocious crimes committed against
the Ukrainian people as genocide. Australia, Brazil, Canada, Columbia,
Estonia, Ecuador, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico,
Paraguay, Peru, Poland, and the United States of America regard the
Ukrainian Famine from 1932-1933 as genocide. Argentina, Czech Republic,
Chile, Slovakia, Spain, Balearic Islands, Spain, and Vatican consider
Holodomor as a deliberate act of famine.

On November 28, 2006 the
Parliament of Ukraine adopted a law that recognized the artificial
famine in Ukraine as genocide committed against the Ukrainian people.
The law also made public denial of the Ukrainian Genocide illegal.
Ukrainian Genocide commemoration day is on November 26.

Holodomor Facts and History:

The Holodomor refers most specifically to the brutal artificial
famine imposed on the Ukrainian people in 1932-33 by Stalin’s regime.

In its broadest sense, it refers to the Ukrainian genocide that
began in 1929 with the massive waves of deadly deportations of Ukraine’s
prospering peasant farmers as well as the deportations and executions
of Ukraine’s religious, academic and cultural leaders, culminating in
the devastating forced famine that killed millions more innocent men,
women and children.

The genocide in fact continued for several more years with the
further destruction of Ukraine’s political leadership, the resettlement
of Ukraine’s depopulated areas with other ethnic groups, the blatant
public denial of famine, and the prosecution of those who dared to speak
of it publicly.

1917
The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin take power in Russia.

1922
The Soviet Union is formed with Ukraine becoming one of the republics.

1924
After Lenin’s death, Joseph Stalin, one of the worst dictators in human history ascends to power.

1928
Stalin introduces a program of agricultural collectivization that
forces peasants/farmers to give up their private land and livestock, and
join state owned, factory-like collective farms. Stalin decides that
collective farms would not only feed the industrial workers in the
cities but would also provide a substantial amount of grain to be sold
abroad, with the money used to finance his industrialization plans.

1929
A policy of enforcement is applied, using regular troops and secret
police. Many Ukrainian peasants/farmers, known for their independence,
still refuse to join the collective farms. Stalin decides to “liquidate
them as a class” and accuses Ukrainians of “bourgeois nationalism.”

1930
Hundreds of thousands are expropriated, dragged from their homes,
packed into freight trains, and shipped to Siberia where they are left,
often without food or shelter. In the end, 1,000,000 Ukrainian peasants
are seized and more than 850,000 deported to the frozen tundras of
Siberia, where many perished.

1932-1933
The Soviet government increases Ukraine's production quotas by
44%, ensuring that they could not be met. Starvation becomes
widespread. Secret decrees are implemented that allow arrest or
execution of any starving peasant found taking as little as a few
stalks of wheat or a potato from the fields he worked. By decree,
discriminatory voucher systems are implemented, and military blockades
are erected around Ukrainian villages preventing the transport of food
into the villages and the hungry from leaving in search of food.
Brigades of young activists from other Soviet regions are brought in to
confiscate hidden grain, and eventually all foodstuffs from the
peasants’ homes. Stalin states of Ukraine that “the national question
is in essence a rural question” and he and his henchmen determine to
“teach a lesson through famine” and ultimately, to deal a “crushing
blow” to the backbone of Ukraine, its rural population.

1933
Ukrainians are dying at the rate of 25,000 a day, more than half
were children. In the end, up to 10 million starve to death. Stalin
denies to the world that there is any famine in Ukraine, and prevents
international aid from entering the country.